Quiz: Can You Identify These Cars You'd See at a ’50s Drive-In?: HowStuffWorks

Can You Identify These Cars You'd See at a ’50s Drive-In?

AUTO

By: Dave Davis

7 Min Quiz

Image: shaunl

About This Quiz

The picture wasn't always the best, humid summer nights could be uncomfortable and the sound didn't come from a Dolby surround system, but from a small speaker attached to your car's window. Still, many people recall the drive-in movie experience as a fondly remembered treat. While there are still some sprinkled around the country, drive-ins have largely been left behind for the air-conditioned comfort of the multiplex or the projector in the home's rec room. They may have fallen out of favor with today's audiences, but for movie-goers of the 1950s, drive-ins were the place to see movies — and be seen by your friends — on Friday and Saturday nights.

Drive-ins also worked the magic of transforming your car from a simple vehicle into a theater with comfortable seats and a clear view of the screen (assuming your windshield was clean and in good condition). If you were lucky enough to drive a convertible, the sky was the ceiling of your own personal cinema. From couples wanting a night away from the kids to family trips where the kids came along to teens on a date where the movie wasn't always the main attraction, drive-ins were a part of the American experience, and cars were integral to that experience.

Are you ready for a quiz to see how much you remember (or were told) when it comes to cars parked in rows during the weekend facing a giant screen showing "Attack of the 50 Woman," "Daddy-O" or "Thunder Road"? Grab your popcorn, your jujubes and a soda, put your arm around your best guy or gal, and see how much you remember about these cars of the '50s!

Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

When the whole family is ready to go to the movies, which vehicle would best hold them all?

1953 Nash-Healey

1952 Crosley Hotshot

1958 Chevrolet Brookwood

1954 Kaiser Darrin 435

The Brookwood was a full-size station wagon that would seat ... many people. The vehicle had a large engine — a 5.7-liter V8 was an option — but it needed that kind of power because it weighed in at nearly 4,000 pounds (not counting the weight of the family and whatever else you decided to bring for the night out).

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Wiki Commons by Radek Weigel

The car parked next to yours looks more like a spaceship than what's on the screen — what could it be?

1955 Citroen DS

1959 Ford Galaxie

1954 Pontiac Star Chief

1953 DeSoto FireDome

Smaller and more streamlined than most of the competition, the 1955 Citroen DS would turn heads at the drive-in (also, it's French, and wouldn't be a common site outside of Europe). The aerodynamic car also had futuristic touches that wouldn't be apparent at the drive-in; it was, for example, the first mass-produced car with disc brakes.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

Oldsmobile fans in the '50s would certainly notice when this car pulled into the drive-in lot. Which Olds was redesigned for 1954?

A-10

Polara

Five Hundred

Ninety-eight

The Ninety-Eight line went into production in 1941 and for the first three generations didn't change much in appearance. The fourth generation, which launched in 1954, was redesigned to breathe new life into the model. A larger 5.3-liter (up from 5.0) Rocket V8 was also introduced.

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Wiki Commons by Redkos69

This long, elegant, powerful car might be hard to park at the drive-in, but it'll be worth it. Which car is it?

1959 Chrysler Valiant

1951 Studebaker Champion

1954 Cadillac Eldorado

1953 Chevy 150

The top-of-the-line Cadillac during this period, the Eldorado was long (just over 18 feet long, in fact), streamlined and a thing of beauty. It also had a 6.0-liter V8 engine, so it could handle itself on the road just fine. This car was also one of Elvis' favorite vehicles, so catching one of his flicks at the drive-in with this car is both poetic and perfect.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

The popcorn's burnt, the movie reel snapped and the kids in the next car are screaming. Your date is sure your new car is a jinx. What are you driving?

A 1950 Nash Rambler

1950 Lincoln Capri

A 1959 Chevy Impala

A 1958 Edsel Pacer

The poor Edsel line from Ford couldn't catch a break. The line, which ran from 1956 through 1959, was named in honor of Henry Ford's son and Ford President Edsel Ford. Because of an economic recession in 1957, disastrously bad market research and other reasons, the Edsel lost its parent company an estimated $250 million.

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Wiki Commons by Buch-t

Which two-seater, called "America's first post-war sports car," would have turned heads at the drive-in in 1951?

1950 Ford B-Max

1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan

1950 Oldsmobile 76

1951 Nash-Healey

The 1951 Nash-Healey was a product of post World War II cooperation that would have been unthinkable just a few years earlier. The sports car had an American engine and an Italian body on a British chassis. Only 506 units of this model were ever made, not counting prototypes and race vehicles.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

Designed with luxury in mind, which of these cars would give you the best seat in the house in 1951?

1952 Woodill Wildfire

1958 Ford RS200

1956 Chevrolet Series 490

Oldsmobile 98

The Oldsmobile 98 was the company's top-of-the-line offering for the 1951 model year, offering three body styles (coupe, sedan and convertible), a 5.0-liter Rocket V8 and standard features including a leather interior, a deluxe steering wheel, dual horns and a lot of chrome.

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Wiki Commons by Sfoskett~commonswiki

Why would people behind you at the drive-in be ticked off if you opened the doors of your 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL?

The bright dome light would disturb them.

Its gullwing doors will block their view.

The taillights automatically came on.

The horn briefly sounded as a safety feature.

You might get a few calls of "Down in front!" if you open the 300SL's gullwing doors during the movie — although you'd also probably get a few envious glances as well when you show up in this beauty. It had some engineering beauty under the hood, as well; this car was the first to effectively use direct fuel-injection technology.

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Wiki Commons by Sicnag

You've got the top down, enjoying the night air with your date, when you feel sprinkles. Which of these vehicles gets your top up with the least hassle?

1957 Ford Fairlane Skyliner

1955 Chevy Lakewood

1957 DeSoto Airflow

1952 Plymouth Gran Fury

The Ford Fairlane Skyliner offered a feature that other vehicles at the time didn't — a retractable roof apparatus, called the "Hide-Away Hardtop" — that automatically folded the roof into the rear of the vehicle. This was a popular option, as well, because it was the first car with a retractable roof to five-digit production numbers.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

You didn't realize it at the time, but the car you're taking to the drive-in tonight will be considered one of the quintessential cars of the 1950s.

1954 Dodge Royal

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air

1953 DeSoto FireDome

1950 Pontiac Streamliner

Now one of the most sought-after vehicles from the 1950s, the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air (the highest trim level of this model — the other levels were called the Two-Ten and the One-Fifty) came in several body styles, including two-door or four-door sedans, convertibles and station wagons. When people think of a car from the '50s, they often think of this model.

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Wiki Commons by Dave_7

You were the first to show up at the drive-in with this model, which debuted in 1957, but you wouldn't be the last. Which one is it?

Pontiac Grand Prix

Chevrolet Impala

Ford Five Hundred

Chevrolet Chevelle

Released for the 1958 model year, the Chevrolet Impala would go on to be the flagship for the Chevy passenger car fleet for decades. First available in either hardtop or convertible styles, the first year for the Impala was an impressive one; the company sold more than 180,000 units, and Impalas made up about 15% of Chevy's production that year.

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Wiki Commons by Thesupermat

You'd love to make it to the drive-in, but that means having a car, and — you guessed it! — yours won't start again. Which of these are you "driving"?

1952 Oldsmobile F-88

1958 Buick LaSabre

1950 Ford Crestliner

1956 Renault Dauphine

The Renault Dauphine was a hit in Europe. The version that was sold in the U.S.? Not so much. The car was panned by critics and owners alike for its bad performance and rotten reliability. How bad? It went from 0 to 60 mph in 32 seconds. Rust was also a mortal enemy. It's regularly listed on "worst of all time" car lists.

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Wiki Commons by JOHN LLOYD

Which vehicle could carry lawn chairs, snacks and several adults (or several more children) to the drive-in?

1955 Chevy Lakewood

1950 Crosley Super Sport

1959 Pontiac Safari

1951 Muntz Jet

Not only did the 1959 Pontiac Safari have all the room you could ever want for taking your brood out to the drive-in with all the creature comforts, but it also had fins. Lots of fins. The vehicle had fins on both the top and bottom of the rear fenders.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

If you showed up at the drive-in driving a new Cadillac in 1956, it was probably which model?

Thunderbird

Galaxie

Imperial

Series 62

The Cadillac Series 62 — of which the Eldorado and the Coupe de Ville were a part — was the most popular model of the luxury brand in 1956. With more than 134,000 vehicles sold, it made up just over 86% of the company's total sales that year. It's also a good thing that gas prices were lower back then; the vehicle got a whopping 8.3 mpg.

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Wiki Commons by Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden

Expensive for the times, this luxury vehicle had electric windows so you didn't have to roll them down yourself on hot summer nights.

1958 Chevrolet Kingwood

1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark

1955 DeSoto Airstream

1954 Cadillac Fleetwood

The 1953 Skylark was developed to celebrate Buick's 50th anniversary, and the luxury automobile was a showcase for design and feature advancements, including electric window controls. It had a 5.3-liter V8, but most of that power went to moving the car's bulk — it had a curb weight of more than two tons.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

Ladies, you didn't have to wait for your fella to pick you up for your date. Which of these was a car aimed at women?

Chevy Mujeres Primero

Ford Pour Elle

Dodge La Femme

Lincoln Le Donne

Dodge saw that more women were taking an interest in automobiles and driving after World War II and decided to make a vehicle aimed directly at that market. The La Femme was a full-sized car trim package based on the Dodge Lancer and offered "softer" exterior and interior color options. The line was ultimately not successful.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

There weren't many made, but if this car showed up at the drive-in, the tailfins would attract as much attention as the movie on the screen. Which is it?

1950 Studebaker Starlight Coupe

1957 Chrysler 300C

1956 Mercury Monterey

1955 Ford CX

Designed to invoke the image of an airplane (it had what was termed "Forward Look and Flight Sweep" styling), the Chrysler 300C was part of the company's "letter" series. The 300C offered a 6.4-liter V8 Hemi engine, was available as a convertible and, of course, featured those jaw-dropping tailfins.

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Streetside Classics via Youtube

Dodge almost went under in 1953 but came back with which of these vehicles that could have been found at the drive-in two years later?

1955 Dodge Sierra Wagon

1955 Dodge Cavalier

1955 Dodge Freestyle

1955 Dodge Raider

A $250 million loan from Prudential Financial bailed Dodge out of the financial problems that almost sunk it in 1953, so the company launched new models to capture the attention of the drivers of the day with the help of designer Virgil Exner, known for his aerodynamic flair. The Royal, Sierra and Coronet were the first vehicles from this "new" Dodge.

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Wiki Commons by Cody Logan

Which station wagon somehow managed to look cool and still take the entire family out to the drive-in?

1957 Chevy Nomad

1954 Dodge 400

1958 Ford Del Rio

1953 Hudson Jet

The Chevrolet Nomad — and specifically the Nomad with its Tri-Five design from 1955 through 57 — not only managed to look cool, but it gave the driver some power under the hood with the first version of the famous Chevy Small-Block V8.

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Wiki Commons by Ahrgrr

You're alone at the drive-in because your only option is your funeral-director father's 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor hearse. Decades later, which car will this go on to be on the silver screen?

The Fantasticar

The Batmobile (1989)

The Brady Bunch station wagon

Ghostbuster's Ecto-1

There weren't many 1959 Miller Meteors — only 400 were estimated to have been made. The car was known as a "combination" car, which could be used as either an ambulance or a hearse. This particular model went on to see fame as Ecto-1, the vehicle used by the Ghostbuster in the 1984 film (after a little work).

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Wiki Commons by Sv1ambo

As the '50s were coming to a close, more and more cars of this model were showing up at the drive-in. Which of these helped usher in the '60s?

1959 Nash Statesman

1959 Pontiac GTO

1959 Ford Galaxie

1959 Chevrolet Series F

The Ford Galaxie, introduced in 1959, was a car marketed around the burgeoning space race the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were starting to run. The Galaxie was a full-sized vehicle meant to take on the Chevrolet Impala and was offered in many trim levels, body styles and engine packages.

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Wiki Commons by Morven

You're taking your best girl to the drive-in in your Pop's 1956 Thunderbird, but she wants to double date. What's it gonna be?

No way - only room for two here!

Heck! Find a third couple! We'll all fit!

If you want to double date and you're driving a first-generation T-bird, the other couple is going to have to find their own ride. The Thunderbird was strictly a two-seater from its introduction in 1955 through 1957. The car was redesigned to seat four after that in efforts to increase sales.

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Wiki Commons by Berthold Werner

With smooth lines and a wraparound rear window, this Studebaker had style. Which one is this?

Champion

Capri

Corvair

Crossfire

First introduced in 1939, the Studebaker Champion was a full-size car for its first three generations, and then a mid-size car beginning in 1953. Available as a sedan, coupe, station wagon or convertible, the Champion was designed to be affordable and was also made to be light ("weight is the enemy" was the mantra of its designers).

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GatewayClassicCars via Youtube

When you decided to hit the drive-in but wanted some comforts of home, which of these vehicles would have been your best bet?

1950 Pontiac Chieftain Catalina Coupe

1952 Woodill Wildfire

1950 Plymouth DeLuxe

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham

The Catalina Coupe had features that no other vehicle had at the time — or, for that matter, any car has today. Some of these include tissue dispensers, a seven-tube radio and a Remington Auto-Home shaver. The Catalina Coupe's V8 engine could produce 116 horsepower.

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Wiki Commons by Niels de Wit

Time Warp! What kind of vehicle was "Greased Lightning" in the 1978 love letter to the 1950s, "Grease"?

1953 Chrysler Imperial

1957 Ford Thunderbird

1948 Ford De Luxe

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air

"Greased Lightning," a 1948 Ford De Luxe convertible, needed a lot of love to become the machine the T-Birds needed for the big race, but thanks to their shop class training and a well-timed musical number, Kenickie's ride became a force to be reckoned with — and one anyone would be proud to take to the drive-in when the race is over.

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Wiki Commons by Dave_7

This car had some firepower under the hood. If you were challenged to a race after the show, which of these vehicles would you want to drive?

1955 Ford Falcon

1953 Chevrolet 2500

1952 Nash Ambassador

1951 Chrysler New Yorker

The New Yorker might not have appeared to be a fast car from the looks of it (it was not lightweight, weighing in at about 4,400 pounds), but it had a surprise under the hood: a 5.4-liter FirePower Hemi V8, which could go from 0 to 60 mph in about 10 seconds. That was faster than the Oldsmobile Rocket V8 of the day.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

It might not have been the most expensive vehicle parked on the drive-in lot, but which of these cars offered both economy and style?

1954 Cadillac Fleetwood

1955 Plymouth Belvedere

1952 Ford Consul

1959 Chevrolet Vectra

Available in two-tone paint finishes, the Plymouth Belvedere came in a number of styles — including sedan, hardtops, convertibles and station wagons — and offered multiple powertrain options, ranging from a 5.6 inline-six to a massive 7.6-liter "Golden Commando" V8.

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Wiki Commons by Bull-Doser

With a couple of blankets to soften the bed, pickup trucks were another great option for the drive-in. Which of these would fit the bill?

1954 Ford Transit Courier

1958 Pontiac Grand Safari

1956 Chevrolet Task Force

1957 Mercury Monterey

The Chevrolet Task Force was the step between the Chevy Advance Design and the C/K Series of pickups. Released in late 1955 and running through 1959, the Task Force trucks offered three engine options — a 3.9-liter inline-six and a 4.3-liter and 4.6-liter V8. With their streamlined good looks, this truck became popular with generations of hot-rodders.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

If you wanted to show up at the drive-in with some style and flair, which of these vehicles would fit the bill?

1951 Plymouth Cranbrook

1957 Ford Pilot

1957 Lincoln Premiere

1953 Chevrolet Opala

The 1957 Lincoln Premiere could take you and five of your friends to the drive-in with style. An upscale version of the Lincoln Capri, the car weighed in at a massive 4,300 pounds and offered a 6.0-liter V8. The Premiere wasn't cheap, either; in today's dollars, it would have run about $42,000.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

Luxurious and safe, which of these cars was starting to look a little dated at the drive-in by the early 1950s?

Ford Elite

Dodge Standard

Hudson Commodore

Nash-Healey Roadster

Although it had light design changes and upgrades from its introduction in 1941, the Hudson Commodore was starting to look a little dated toward the end of its run in 1952. The car did have a reputation for luxury and a smooth ride, and it could take a hit; its body chassis was surrounded by steel girders.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

Time Warp! What type of car do you NOT want to be sitting in when you see the midnight showing of 1983's "Christine"?

1952 Buick Special Riviera

1950 Cadillac Coupe de Ville

A 1958 Plymouth Fury

1956 Nash Rambler

"Christine," based on a novel by Stephen King of the same name, tells the story of a boy, his red '58 Plymouth Fury and that car's desire to kill anything that comes between them. There were 14 1957 and '58 Furies destroyed during the making of the 1983 film.

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Wiki Commons by Granada_turnier

Which of these was the first American car to offer a 400 horsepower engine, which was great if you were running late for the movie?

1952 Sears Allstate

1958 Mercury Park Lane

1958 Tucker 48

1951 Mercury Sports Sedan

This car, available as either a hardtop or a convertible, offered a monster of an engine — a 7.0-liter Ford MEL V8 — for only one year. It was the first American car to be rated at 400 horsepower. If you didn't get the 1958 Mercury Park Lane, however, you were out of luck; the engine in the '59 was only rated for 345 hp.

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With nearly 10 feet of space with the rear seat folded down, which of these vehicles was ideal for parents with fidgety kids at the drive-in?

1958 Pontiac Executive

1955 Ford C-Max

1954 Chevrolet Venture

1950 Chrysler Town & Country Wagon

The 1950 Town & Country Wagon had space to spare once the rear seat was folded down, and it was also the last year of the line's model to offer a style that would find new appreciate a decade later: wood panels. The station wagon had a long life, running from 1945 through 1988.

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Wiki Commons by Zenix Net

That 1955 Lincoln Futura parked next to you could be taking a superhero to his next adventure a few years from now — but which hero?

Buck Rogers

Batman

Captain America

The Punisher

The Batmobile from the classic 1966-1968 "Batman" TV show was based on a concept car — the Lincoln Futura — that was built in 1955. The car, which measured almost 19 feet long and seven feet wide, was also in the Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford film "It Started with a Kiss." It was later heavily modified by Dean Jeffries for the Caped Crusader.

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Wiki Commons by Sicnag

It's big. It's heavy. It ... won't start. Which of these cars is the reason you'll miss seeing your friends at the drive-in?

1958 DeSoto Adventurer

1955 Chrysler Windsor

1954 Lincoln Capri

1954 Plymouth Plaza

The DeSoto Adventurer, which was released in 1956 and ended in 1960, was not known for its reliability — especially the 1958 model. Bad power steering units, leaky roofs and an inability to resist rust plagued both the car and its owners. Also, it was BIG, measuring over 18 feet long and weighing in at more than two tons. That's a lot to push.

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Wiki Commons by Dave_7

Which of these vehicles on the drive-in lot could have been bought from Sears & Roebuck?

1952 Studebaker Commander

1952 Kaiser-Frazer Allstate

1951 Packard Mayfair

1950 Hudson Commodore

The Allstate, built by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation, was only available in 1952 from the Sears & Roebuck department stores (actually, only from Sears in southern states who also carried other auto products). For Kaiser-Frazer dealerships, this was not a good deal; they had to sell a similar model with fewer features for a higher price.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

Which of these vehicles would have been perfect for a nice night at the drive-in to see both the movie and the stars?

1951 Packard 250

1953 DeSoto Powermaster

1957 Chevrolet Celta

1957 Ford CX

The 1951 Packard 250 marked a redesign sensibility for the company that had, historically, made "inverted bathtub" shaped vehicles. The 250 was a step up from the 200, offering a bigger engine and more options. The Packard 250 Mayfair was the same vehicle, only with a hardtop.

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Wiki Commons by Acabashi

What brand did Robert Mitchum's bootlegging character prefer in the 1958 drive-in classic "Thunder Road"?

Ford

Chevrolet

DeSoto

Dodge

Driving down the backroads of Kentucky and Tennessee running illegal moonshine around both federal roadblocks and gangsters, Mitchum's Lucas Doolin relied on his 1950 customized Ford kept one step ahead of his enemies for most of the film. It also was some of the inspiration for Bruce Springsteen's song of the same name.

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Wiki Commons by Greg Gjerdingen

Which car was not only a looker on the drive-in lot but also had the horses under the hood for a little after-movie racing?

1957 DeSoto Airflow

1953 Hudson Jet

1953 Dodge Coronet

1950 Crosley Super Sport

The 1953 Dodge Coronet not only had a redesigned streamlined style but also had an option for something that many other car owners envied: a 3.9-liter V8 Hemi "Red Ram" engine. That engine was responsible for more than 100 land speed records for the time. It could take to the streets!

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Wiki Commons by Kowloonese

It's 1951 and your buddy asks if you're up for a double date because he's got his Dad's Corvette for the night. What's your answer?

"Great! We'll make everyone else jealous!"

"What's a Corvette?"

"It only seats two, dummy!"

"That piece of junk? Forget it!"

Your buddy either has a time machine, gets visions of cars to come or he's making up stories to look good because the Chevrolet Corvette didn't hit the streets until late in the 1953 model year. Also, even if he had one, a double date isn't in the cards; the Corvette is a two-seater.

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